Blanche
Fischer Foundation (BFF)

The
Blanche Fischer Foundation is a great resource for individuals
who cannot find funding for specific needs, or when no one
else will cover the cost of a needed disability related item.
BFF provides grants to disabled individuals, though rarely
do they fund organizations. BFF does not specialize in any
one purpose or type of item to be funded, nor does BFF have
any specific type of disability related to their grant eligibility.
Rather BFF is mandated by the terms of the money left to them
by Ms. Fischer, to grant funding to persons with disabilities
who may "fall through the cracks." So if you can't
get the Commission or someone else to cover an item that is
needed for your well being, write, E-Mail or call John or
Jean Shepard at BFF.

Oregon
Council Of The Blind (ACB-O)

The
Oregon Council of the Blind has a grant committee that meets
during their quarterly board meetings and this committee decides
to either fund or reject grant applications. There are usually
a variety of grant requests and some are for very little money,
some for thousands of dollars; each gets equal review. If
you are having a difficult time getting something paid for
or it is just beyond your ability to pay for it all, call
the current ACB-O President [2004 Oregon ACB President Bob
Johnson at (503) 361-8693]or contact the ACB of Oregon via
the web at www.acboforegon.org
or your local chapter leader and talk to them about the details
of applying to the ACB-O.

The
Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc.

The
Lighthouse and its many facilities have been around for years,
though their services change from time to time and within
each facility. In many communities, they have non-profit work
centers (sheltered workshops) for both blind or visually impaired
workers and/or deaf-blind workers. In other locales, they
may have an adaptive goods store, educational programs, an
assistive technology center or a variety of combined programs.
Call to check on details and the location of the closest Lighthouse
outlet.